It’s something that has been bugging me for quite some time with Pickle’s character, especially with the more recent turns regarding how she is shown and perceived. Many things are subjective regarding this comic with her because there are jump cuts, things that get glossed over because every character is a powerhouse that can kill the others in an instant. I get that – that’s the comic.

The problem I have with it is that everything boils down to manipulation of everyone else, especially with Pickle, that’s getting to the point that it’s so abusive it’s no wonder no one wants to put up with each other in the comic. It also boils down to consent. Pickle could have easily told her sister that she wanted to help a friend out, come long, we need to do something, but she didn’t. Helping Scarlet, sure, I can give that a pass because she’s trying to help a friend, which good friends do.

Turning this around on her sister when we haven’t even seen anyone TALK to one another about her relationship, which isn’t her business, bothers the hell out of me. Astali has perception problems, especially with social cues, but it basically boils down to “she’s an busty airhead who needs a clue by four” again when not five pages ago, Pickle herself was mucking things up because she couldn’t perceive what’s up with a relationship that her mother is in.

The inconsistencies of character and writing gives the reader whiplash – it’s hard to care about these characters when the problems jump around so much, their takes on things switch mid sentence sometimes, and you’re kind of left going “what?” at the whole situation. It may be the take on the teenager years with Pickle, since she flip flops constantly, but in the end, she’s still consistently trying to manipulate people (like others in the comic have done, yes) but as a child, it should be curbed because it will turn into more serious abuse tactics, which is harder to unlearn.

I guess in the end, my attachment to watching Pickle grow up makes me want better for her, and the roads she’s heading down just makes me sad because the fall is going to be much harder. Maybe even to the point where she will be irredeemable.

A quick addendum since Pickle refers to it in this comic: said advice being given can be construed to either her sister or Scarlet, which could actually be the only time we see this being referred to there being any issue with Atsali’s relationship, thus an impending scene change for Atsali to lead to this.

I still stand by the whole dislike of the manipulation though. Pickle uses her sister as a test without consent, possibly because her sister doesn’t understand, but this has always been the sticky wicket with Atasli due to her upbringing that has been frustrating in its own right. Either way, it’s manipulation to achieve a desired goal: helping her friend out at the cost of something that her sister has fought against with her body, by using her body to prove a point. Pickle should know better and respect this, but you could argue that she’s still a child here, which refers back to the inconsistencies.

So then it circles back to using Atsali to help Scarlet, and in turn, smack Atsali upside the head regarding something with her relationship with her own girlfriend since she’s moving away. Yes, it may be helpful, but it’s still uncomfortable and manipulative behavior that a perceived child shouldn’t be learning to do.

I digress though, as I’m talking in circles now, but I wanted to add that yes, Pickle does mention it in this comic, most likely due to impending scene change. Either way, we’ll see where it goes.

You see it as manipulation. I see it as Castela working a complex scheme to bring understanding to two people, rather than lecturing or directing. But you also have to consider if no one got upset or scared or pissed off, it would be poor fiction. Fiction stands on conflict. No conflict, no story.

well there is a question to consider, which one really is the older sister. pickle is part of some near elemental force as the blackthorn (or what ever it was that even the fae are scared of). is it possible that she actually remembers on some level what that side of her knows?

we really don’t know much of how pickle came to be and what she really is. has been mentioned a few times that no one in the comic really knows either, like when she blew off half a canyon wall one time and everyone was shocked.

@McAndrew… as a mom of a 13yo kiddo developing a build similar to Atsali’s: Those aren’t D-cups, hon. She might be starting to learn how to tone down the bustiness in human form, but she’s still sporting at least an H-cup.